EMA 10k

Today it’s the EMA 10k which is a run around East Midlands Airport which is shut on Sundays at the moment for runway resurfacing. It has proved a popular idea and the race soon filled up. L got in but I didn’t due to my policy of not entering races too far in advance in case I get injured.

Those are the risks but I put a brave face on it as I grab a cup of tea and a bacon roll, thankfully not at usual airport prices, while L disappears off into the Departures Hall to check in at Desk 25. It might be a daft idea running around an airport but it’s also pretty cool.

L is in Wave C (which she refers to as C for Chubbies) which is practically nosebleed territory and well ahead of the back Wave F (F for Fatties). I think it's called self deprecating humour and she's not being un-PC, I hope. She's almost in with the Elites unless they’re in Wave E of course.

Everyone has been told that they're not allowed to publish the route probably something to do with the Official Secrets Act but I think the real reason was probably because it was a bit dull. I’m not sounding bitter am?

It’s mostly on the access roads and around the main car park. The upside is that L passes me four times. It’s just me as we left the boys at home because we knew we’d have to get a undogfriendly shuttle bus in from Jet Parks 1 and 2.

The route could have been better as with 2000 runners the two lap course with the second lap being only 4k as opposed to the 6k first lap means the lead runners easily catch the back of the race and have to swim through the tide. Not good. Everything else though is immaculately organised and the race t-shirt is also rather nice.

The airport have also stated that no photos or videos are to be taken during the race and that airport security marshals will be in place around the route and will take action against anyone who does. Well clearly everyone, spectators and marshals alike, forgot about this as photography was rampant.

Having kept my power dry all morning of course and I can now ignite it in the evening. Hence I have booked an SQT session at the Velodrome. This is the last Sunday night session of the year before we are kicked out while the pantomime takes over and its fully booked. The session has a touch of Christmas Party about it, this is if you can imagine a party for hardened trackies who are a tad peeved about their sessions being cancelled and want to knock lumps out of someone because of it. They even wheel in an especially psycho coach to help take the session.

Although they do need two anyway because due to the panto stage being in the middle of the track you can no longer see across it and they need a coach each side in radio contact to maintain safety.

It is easily the most evil velodrome session I’ve ever done but also equally the best Christmas Party I’ve been to. The new guy introduces something I think he called the Six Day Six but I can’t find anything about on the web. I think it was just pure unadulterated evil that he made up himself but then it wasn’t really out of character with the rest of the session.

L doesn’t quite have to carry me into the Exeter Arms afterwards but it wasn't far off that stage. My ever supportive father joins us. Then I have takeaway curry while L saintly has a Subway salad. 

(Sunday 27^th November)

Tearful Farewell

This morning we take our little girl, Daughter, to East Midlands Airport and bid her a tearful farewell as she heads off to La Rochelle for all of five days. Although she looks like she’s being sent away for ten years hard labour. As she's going to join her father, this may well be the case.

He drove out there without her because he was planning on taking a barbecue but then didn’t. So in the end this flight was unnecessary but here we are and she looks so worried you’d think it was her first time on a plane. You wouldn’t know she’d done around a dozen skiing holidays and even a trip abroad with her friends.

We say our goodbyes and leg it. Well the car park is half an hour at a flat rate and then it escalates sharply thereafter. We try to pay but can’t find the ticket machines, which have been craftily hidden behind a building in Arrivals and we’re in Departures. If I was cynic I’d say this was a devious means to increase revenue.

Then we’re on a blissfully quiet M6, if the M6 can ever be described as such. The joys of travelling on a Saturday I guess, when most people are already where they want to be.

We leave the motorway at J34, two junctions early, to drive through the countryside into

Dentdale and what I suppose is its capital Dent. We camp, take a short hike and then find the pub.  

There are two and first we try the Sun, and then move on to the George & Dragon, home of the Dent Brewery. Where the prize exhibit is T'Owd Tup, at 6% not to taken lightly.

 (Tuesday 28^th May)

DIY!

It's a Bank Holiday today and a day at home, doing DIY! Well fixing the toilet overflow, re-securing a pipe on the new heated towel rail and fitting a new sink plug. Way to go.

Ok so it’s really really small fry DIY but it was also jobs that really really needed doing.

We’re off on holiday tomorrow via East Midlands Airport, it’s not often you do that without actually getting on the plane.

(Monday 27^th May)

Inaugural

L likes being inaugural. So despite the fact I point out it’s the inaugural Dunchurch bike ride and offer to hire a tandem, we’re here a mere ten miles down the road a Church Wilne for the inaugural Wilne 10k. So too is protégé, so I have competition. This is what his personal trainer has been destroying, sorry I mean training, him for.

It is possibly the most hyped new race I’ve ever known and I mean that in a nice way. The organisers have promoted this race at every opportunity and have been present to push it at many local races. They are rewarded with a field of over 560 entries.

The organisation is impressive apart from one major fail, a distinct lack of loos. Which is a basic thing to get wrong. I could also gripe that the car park and race village falls mid way between the start and finish points, about half a mile from each. This makes spectating for people like my Dad difficult, as he’s not capable of hot footing it from start to finish. He’s happy though and positions himself at the finish which is also the 4k point on this is a two lap course but I do think having the finish by the race village would have made for a better post-race atmosphere.

The race itself went well. Almost as flat as they advertised but not pancake flat. The course was basically a big square, lots of straight flat traffic free sections. We could have done without the rain though. Mainly dry for the actual race but downpours before and afterwards.

The local residents came out in force especially in Draycott and especially the mad woman with the bell, which may or may not have helped. Plus a nice cotton t-shirt at the end, I’m a bit sick of all the technical ones that we keep getting and they usually don’t fit me anyway.

I went for a 42, held a pretty constant pace and just dipped under 42:00 so was happy. Three minutes ahead of protégé, not that I’m counting. As for L, a dodgy groin seemed set to put paid to a good time for her but no. She gritted her teeth and got home in her first sub-57 of the year and for some time. Perhaps her sessions with her personal trainer are helping, I hope she thanks him properly later.

We head off for celebratory Sunday lunch with my parents in nearby Shardlow.

Later we despatch Daughter to East Midlands airport en route to Zante, which is apparently a Greek island. She’s on a Club 18-30 holiday, which is a terrifying thought. She withdraws money on the way, her own money. Never seen that happen before.

In the morning we’re off as well. We’re heading down to Suffolk for a holiday and to touch base with Doggo’s twin brother. I kid you not.

(Sunday 4th September)